Research Catalog

Title

Interview with Jerome Robbins. May 21, 1990 [sound recording]

Author

Robbins, Jerome

Publication

1990.

Items in the Library & Off-site

Details

Additional Authors

Kisselgoff, Anna.

Description

3 sound discs (ca. 121 min.) : digital; 4 3/4in.

Summary

• Disc 1 (ca. 48 min.) [Begins abruptly.] In an interview conducted a month before the opening of his New York City Ballet retrospective, Robbins discusses his beginnings as a modern dancer; the critical response to his ballet, Fancy free (1944); more on his modern dance training and its influence on his career as a choreographer; the influence of his various teachers, including Senia Gluck-Sandor; his early performances; his expectations of dancers; his preparations for the upcoming season at New York City Ballet, including staging new ballets and repertory and festival pieces; the logistics of restaging a ballet and the dancer's role in its reconstruction; selecting and restaging his ballets for the festival; the changes to his choreography over time.
• Disc 2 (ca. 48 min.) [Begins abruptly.] Robbins discusses in detail the creation of several of his ballets, including Fancy free (1945), Interplay (1945), Facsimile (1946), Dances at a gathering (1969), Age of anxiety (1950) and Pied piper (1951). Robbins speaks of the deterioration of ballets as they are passed on and his transition to piano ballets beginning with The concert (1956). Kisselgoff speaks of the accessibility of Robbins' work during the 1960s in contrast to the prevailing work of the period; the categorization of his work; the formation of his company Ballets: U.S.A. for the Spoleto Festival; his decision to produce N.Y. export: opus jazz (1958) outside of the New York City Ballet and the selection of dance companies to produce his works; auditioning dancers and selecting ballets for Ballets U.S.A.; the creative evolution of N.Y. export: opus jazz [ends abruptly].
• Disc 3 (ca. 25 min.) [Begins abruptly.] Robbins discusses the creation of his ballet Moves (1959); the goal of choreography and the expressivequalities of movement; Kisselgoff comments on the possible influence of George Balanchine; Robbins discusses the impact and influence of Balanchine's work on him; the revival of his ballet Watermill (1972) for the festival, including its inspiration and personal significance.

Series Statement

Jerome Robbins Collection

Alternative Title

Dance Audio Archive.

Subject

• Robbins, Jerome > Interviews
• Age of anxiety (Choreographic work : Robbins)
• Dances at a gathering (Choreographic work : Robbins)
• Facsimile (Choreographic work : Robbins)
• Fancy free (Choreographic work : Robbins)
• Interplay (Choreographic work : Robbins)
• N.Y. export, opus jazz (Choreographic work : Robbins)
• Pied piper (Choreographic work : Robbins)
• Watermill (Choreographic work : Robbins)
• Dance > Production and direction

Note

• Interview conducted by dance critic Anna Kisselgoff on May 21, 1990 in New York, N.Y.

Access (note)

• Permission required.

Funding (note)

• Preservation made possible in part with public funds from the National Endowment for the Humanities.

Source (note)

• WNET/13

Call Number

*MGZTL 4-3091 JRC

OCLC

NYPT03-R10

Author

Robbins, Jerome, interviewee.

Title

Interview with Jerome Robbins. May 21, 1990 [sound recording]

Imprint

1990.

Series

Jerome Robbins Collection

Access

Permission required.

Funding

Preservation made possible in part with public funds from the National Endowment for the Humanities.

Local Note

For transcript see *MGZMT 3-3091 JRC. The transcript was created by WNET/13 in connection with the documentary: Jerome Robbins: Something to dance about.

Archival transcript: *MGZMTO 3-3091 JRC

Archive original: *MGZTCO 3-3091 JRC

Preservation master: *MGZTP 10-3091 JRC

Dubbing master: *MGZTD 4-3091 JRC

Source

Transcript Gift; WNET/13, 2008. NN-PD

Connect to:

Request Access to Special Collections (Dance Division) material

Local Subject

Choreography -- Reconstruction.

Audiotapes -- Robbins, J.

Added Author

Kisselgoff, Anna. Interviewer

Research Call Number

*MGZTL 4-3091 JRC